All My Fault
by Feene
Summary: Feene's worried about the others, and decides to head out on her own... but what dangers await her? R&R...


"Hmm... I was bored. Really bored. So I wrote this. Personally, I don't like it at all. It's not a songfic—one of the only ones I ever expect to do without a tune—so it just sort of... goes. If you want a sequel, tell me, and I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, I'll just slip off into the fourth dimension and think up some mire plot-lines..."  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own zoids, and the song is... oh, wait. This doesn't have a song. Drat.  
  
- - -  
  
"Feene! Soup's up!" hollered Moonbay, her tone practically deafening. With one last, wistful glimpse at the stars, Feene climbed to her feet, padding quiet as a mouse towards her companions. All three of them were seated around the campfire, spooning out the thick chowder into wooden bowls. She could hear Zeke's reassuring little growl in the back of her head, telling her that everything was all right, and that he was watching over them like a collie would sheep.  
  
Sipping at her portion of the meal, Feene couldn't help but sigh. Of course, no one noticed, least of all Van. At the moment, the object of her vague affection was stuffing his face, commenting between mouthfuls about the Emperial zoids they had spotted during the early afternoon. A pack of piloted RevRaptors had been trailing them for a while, but in the end, Moonbay's Gustav had evaded their attempts of capture.  
  
"Hey, you ok? Lookin' a little down-in-the dumps today," commented her only other female companion, glancing up from her steaming bowl. Moonbay cocked her head to one side, studying the younger girl, braids swinging to the right. If she weren't careful, she'd probably end up getting them in Van's soup.  
  
"It's nothing, I'm fine, Moonbay. Just thinking." Feene affected a small grin, just to show that she was all right. She didn't want anyone worrying about her... least of all her, in fact. She didn't need the extra attention, much less want it.  
  
But still... it would be nice, for once, if this whole thing didn't revolve around her. If she had the choice of backing out of an adventure that was always placing her companions in danger.  
  
After supper, the group of five—including Zeke—all lay down in various places of the Gustav, bundled in their sleeping bags and portable pillows. It got cold during the desert nights, though at least it was hardly ever humid, thanks to the lack of precipitation. The spot they had chosen was basically just a flat part of an even larger flatness, with absolutely no cover at all. Certainly not the most strategic spot to spend the night, but they didn't have much choice. The entire place resembled a sandy ironing board.  
  
Feene lay awake in her covers, just staring upward into the night, crimson eyes having adjusted to the dim lighting. The sky was relatively clear, with only a few clouds dotting the star-studded heavens. It was beautiful, really, seeing the quarter-moon partially hidden by banks of mist and fog.  
  
"If only I could remember. They shouldn't even be out here. Van should be back home, and Moonbay and Irvine... they deserve to be wherever they want to be," she murmured to herself, the sound of her words drowned out by impenetrable silence. Well, that and Van's raucous snores.  
  
The little girl closed her eyes for a moment, trying to keep her mind totally blank, so she wouldn't have to think about her guilt any longer. But of course, that didn't work at all. Within moments, thoughts of her friends being blown apart by enemy gunfire haunted her pretended slumber. The thought of them dying... it would be her fault. It was because of her that they were out here anyway. Biting her lower lip, Feene climbed to her feet, beginning to descend the side of the Gustav's trailer.  
  
As silently as possible, Feene snuck around the snail-like zoid, tip-toeing past the snoring Blade Liger pilot. 'I'm sorry I have to do this, Van. But it's for the best, for you and everyone else.' She continued to stare at him for a while, her eyes growing misty. Before she really knew what she was doing, Feene bent over, and gave him a brief, light hug. Van shifted just a bit at the embrace, murmuring something incoherent. She'd always remember him like that. Carefree and innocent. And loud.  
  
Quietly, she turned away and began walking back the way they had come from. They had passed a little town a few days ago... she'd make it there. Maybe buy a zoid, and leave for the mountains. Someplace where they couldn't find her, even if they searched for a million years.  
  
But still, all of this hurt. She knew she was doing the right thing, but nonetheless, her heart ached with every step. Gnawing at her lower lip, she focused on the task at hand; getting herself to the nearest town.  
  
The dawn finally appeared above the horizon, turning everything a ruddy sort of crimson, reflected by every facet on every grain of sand. Feene couldn't help but smile. It really was beautiful out here, no doubt about that. Even if the footing was terrible, and the blazing heat even worse, there were some things about the desert that really did appeal to her.  
  
She never even noticed the few red-ish blurs that zipped across the horizon to her left, ducking behind a nearby sand dune. Of course, they could have just been a few large, colorful, migratory birds.  
  
"I hope Van and the others get on all right... But I'm sure they will. Zeke can go home and live with Ban. They won't be in danger anymore." Feene smiled at this thought, positively knowing that she was doing the right thing. At that moment, she'd walk all the way around Zi to keep those five out of harm's way.  
  
"Spread out, surround the area. That organoid may be nearby," growled Fafner, officer of a division of eight RevRaptors. Certainly not the highest rung in the social hierarchy ladder... but that would soon change. The Emperial Army would do anything to destroy even one member of that upstart kid's gang, and here was a perfect chance. The one they had identified as 'Feene' was just waltzing her way around in the middle of nowhere. As far as he could see, she had no protection, and wasn't even expecting to be attacked at all... There was no conceivable way this operation could fail.  
  
"...It's starting to get hot out. Maybe I should have waited till we reached the next town," she mused, hesitating for a moment. Everything like the same from this vantage point... flat. There really wasn't any other of describing it. Flat and hot. She was quite surprised, actually, when a huge shadow blocked out the sweltering sun from behind.  
  
"Zeke?" she chirped hopefully, expecting the metallic clanking of claws and the familiar rumbling growl in return. Instead, her eyes met with the much- larger form of a zoid, its green eyes gleaming eerily beneath the sunlight. A RevRaptor... from the Emperial Army. At that moment, a second one appeared behind her, leveling it's custom-made gun point-blank at the little target.  
  
"Ha, we've got her surrounded! Fire!" With a resounding boom, followed by the swish and hiss of twine, the second Raptor fired. Crying out, Feene wrestled against the net surrounding her, pinning her against the dry ground.  
  
From the cockpit seat, Fafner smirked. This would be his big day. Though he certainly couldn't say the same for his innocent captive. 


End file.
